Crime finally catches up with OJ Simpson (2nd Roundup)

Dec 6, 2008, 15:15 GMT

O.J. Simpson stands during sentencing at the Clark County Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, 05 December 2008. EPA/ISAAC BREKKEN/POOL

Los Angeles - Crime finally caught up with OJ Simpson Friday as the former American football star, controversially acquitted of the 1994 murder of his wife and her friend, was sentenced to between nine and 33 years in jail for his part in an armed robbery and kidnapping case in Las Vegas last year.

An ashen-faced Simpson, his hands in chains, looked stunned as Judge Jackie Glass of the Clark County District Court in Nevada read out the complicated sentence. Lawyers for the 61-year-old one-time American football star and actor, said in the live broadcast from the courtroom that they would appeal.

Although Judge Glass emphasized that her sentencing had nothing to do with the 1994 murders of Nicole Simpson Brown and her friend Ron Goldman, the family of Goldman was in court and applauded the punishment afterwards.

'It's kind of a bittersweet moment knowing that that SOB (son of a bitch) will be in jail for a very long time,' said Fred Goldman, the father of Ron Goldman. 'We're satisfied seeing him in shackles ... the monster is now behind bars.'

But 'there's never closure,' he added. 'Ron is always gone.'

The Goldman family pushed Simpson in various court cases after the 1994 acquittal, and convinced a civil jury to find Simpson liable in the two murders. Simpson was ordered to pay over 33 million dollars in damages to the families of Brown and Goldman.

Simpson also co-authored a supposedly hypothetical book in 2007 titled If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer, in which he outlined how he might have committed the crime, and the Goldmans sought to garner proceeds from the sale of the book.

'We believe that our pursuit of him over all these years brought him to the brink of this,' said Ron Goldman's sister Kim. 'I'm proud of our efforts. He committed that crime and it's time he paid for it.'

Simpson was convicted in October of 12 charges stemming from a 2007 incident in which he and his cohorts used guns in a Las Vegas hotel room to force two sports memorabilia dealers to hand over a number of items that Simpson believed had been stolen from him.

Simpson's co-defendant Clarence Stewart was sentenced to 15 years in jail and will be eligible for parole in 5 years. As instigator of the crime, Simpson received a heavier sentence. According to Simpson attorney Yale Galanter he will become eligible for parole in nine years at the earliest and could serve up to 33 year in jail.

Appearing close to tears, Simpson addressed the court for the first time Friday saying that he was remorseful and apologetic, and that he was merely trying to recover family heirlooms.

'I realize now that I was stupid, I didn't mean to hurt anyone, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for all of it,' said Simpson, who had previously appeared unapologetic throughout all his legal travails.

But Judge Glass said Simpson's words in the courtroom had little effect on her decision to give a harsh sentence.

'Everything in this case was on tape and it was your own words that have brought you here because we heard it all and what came out on the tapes (gave) evidence in this case was overwhelming,' she told the court.

'That was a violent event, guns were brought, at least one gun was drawn, the potential for harm in that room was tremendous,' she said. 'You knew what was going on there. I have to tell you now that it was much more than stupidity.'

Glass also noted that the extensive tapes that were made of Simpson as he prepared to reclaim his alleged possessions, and as he entered and left the hotel room and celebrated afterwards, indicated to her that a major motivation in the robbery was 'that you didn't want all of those items to fall into the hands of the Goldmans.'

Prior to sentencing, Simpson's attorneys had argued that Simpson should receive the minimum sentence, six years. Prosecutors asked for 18 years in jail.

Simpson has been held in isolation in jail since his October conviction. Because of his celebrity he will remain in solitary confinement during his jail term.

Simpson's lawyers claimed that the jury was unduly influenced by his criminal history, but Glass insisted that she took no notice of that case.

In arguing for the minimum sentence, Simpson's legal team also pointed to his lack of prior criminal history. They admitted that his judgment in the incident was faulty but pointed out that no-one was hurt and that there were extenuating circumstances.

The case revolved around an incident in September 2007, when Simpson travelled from his Florida home to Las Vegas for a friend's wedding.

But while there, he heard that memorabilia dealers were trying to sell items from his football career and organized a group of friends to try and retrieve them. In the case, jurors heard evidence that Simpson's gang burst into the dealers' hotel room, threatened them with guns and prevented them from leaving until they returned the items in question.

Simpson was arrested the day after the incident by Las Vegas police.